The National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) has warned that the Federal Government is pushing university workers toward another round of industrial action by failing to reconvene talks on the long-standing renegotiation of the 2009 agreement.

In a statement signed by its President, Comrade Ibeji Nwokoma, the union called on Nigerians, civil society groups, labour unions, parents, and students to intervene and urge the government to urgently resume and conclude the renegotiation process.

The warning followed the union’s 62nd National Executive Council meeting held at its National Secretariat Complex at Yakubu Gowon University, Abuja, where members expressed frustration over what they described as prolonged delays and disregard for collective bargaining.

“Government bears responsibility for impending academic disruptions and loss of institutional peace,” the statement read, highlighting the growing tension within the university system.

A major source of concern for NAAT is a March 30, 2026 letter from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service approving a 30 percent allowance increase for non-teaching staff. The union argued that the decision was taken outside the ongoing renegotiation framework, thereby undermining the process and creating disparities.

According to NAAT, the move violates established labour principles and appears to be a divide-and-rule tactic, which it vowed to resist through legal means.

The union also rejected what it described as a “paltry offer” presented during a March 31 meeting at the National Universities Commission, saying it fails to reflect current economic realities, including rising costs of fuel, gas, and electricity.

NAAT noted that efforts to renegotiate the agreement date back to 2017, despite the pact being due for review in 2012. Over the years, several committees—led by figures such as Dr. B.O. Babalakin, Prof. Munzali Jibril, the late Prof. Nimi Briggs, and most recently Alhaji Mahmud Yayale Ahmed—have handled the process with limited resolution.

While acknowledging the commitment of the current Yayale Ahmed Committee, especially in reaching agreements with other tertiary institution unions, NAAT insisted that its own concerns remain unresolved.

The union warned that failure to act swiftly could trigger widespread disruptions across universities, further destabilizing an already fragile academic calendar.